Football
Wildcats bury Raiders, 33-12
By Stan Ross
ON THE MOVE. York Quarterback Evan Wallace (12) drops back for a pass in last Friday's home win over Fryeburg. Blocking up front are Ryan Vokey (51) and Matt Day (72).
Photo by Kate Rasche
YORK - The Fryeburg Raiders (0-4) came to York last Friday night, Sept.22, with a young team in search of their first win.
As York Head Coach Randy Small would say after the game, "Last week's loss to Cape Elizabeth was a kick in the butt. We needed that!"
York raced to a 21-0 lead in the first eight minutes of the first period and never let the Raiders back in the game. Jon Jiminez returned the opening kickoff 20 yards to give the Wildcats a first down on their own 42 yard line. Then sophomore QB Evan Wallace completed one pass in the flat to Tony Romano for six yards and followed up with a middle screen for a 20-yard gain. Jiminez gained eight yards off right tackle before Wallace completed a 25-yard TD pass to Romano. York had gained 58 yards in just six plays and after Ryan MacGlashing kicked the extra point, York led 7-0 at the 8:55 mark.
Fryeburg advanced to their own 45, but their fourth down punt was returned by Dan Moran to the York 45.
Wallace completed a long pass to Alex Blomquist and Alex Quinn pounded his way from the eight yard line for another TD. York had scored again in just two plays and took a 14-0 lead. Fryeburg could only return York's kickoff to their own 15, and two plays later the Wildcats recovered a Raider fumble on the 23 yard line.
Romano was drilled after catching a pass and had to leave the game with an injured shoulder, but Jiminez scrambled for a first down at the Raider four yard line. Then Jiminez followed a solid block by Quinn for a four-yard TD and York led 21-0 at the 4:35 mark in the first quarter.
Fryeburg went three and out before punting to the York 35. Jiminez and Wallace alternated carries as the Wildcats drove to the Raider 35 before turning the ball over on downs. Now the Raiders came to life as Sequona Reynosa broke loose around the left end and outraced the entire York backfield for a 67-yard TD. Buddy Gauthier and Sonny Sala combined to stop the Fryeburg conversion and the score remained York 21, Fryeburg 6.
Dan Moran returned the Raider kickoff 14 yards to the Wildcat 29. Then Jiminez took over with gains of 30 yards around left end, 15 yards down the right side and finally 10 more up the middle. After York called a time out, QB Wallace ran a keeper left to score a TD and, after the conversion attempt was wide right, York led 27-6.
The Raiders were still scrapping, but the Wildcat defense was not about to give ground. Blomquist made an open field tackle and Scott Langenheim combined with Quinn for a solid stick. Aided by two face-mask penalties against York, the Raiders advanced to the Wildcat five yard line. Fryeburg completed a pass but it was ruled "beyond the end zone" and Tom Ross sacked their passer on fourth down.
QB Wallace completed a long pass to Dan Sheehan down the right side line for a 25-yard gain. York overcame a series of illegal procedure penalties with passes from Wallace to Moran and Blomquist, but were faced with a fourth and three when they called time with just 36 seconds remaining in the half. Then a middle screen pass from Wallace to Ian Bond gave the Wildcats a first down on the Fryeburg six yard line. But Quinn was stacked up for no gain as the half ended with York leading 27-6.
Fryeburg took MacGlashing's second half kickoff and returned it 20 yards before Dan Petruzzella made an open field tackle. Four plays later, York recovered another Raider fumble and started another TD drive from their own 40 yard line. Sparked by the running of Jiminez, Quinn and Greg Lipton, the Wildcats drove to the Raiders eight yard line. Then Lipton went over right guard for the TD, which made the score 33-6.
Coach Small seemed completely relaxed when he faced his bench and asked, "Who hasn't played yet?"
The balance of the game was played near midfield but highlights included open field tackles by Jake Moran and Peter Corey, plus a sack by Patrick Graham. York was stopped at their own 30 when a bad snap went over the punter's head into the end zone. MacGlashing prevented a safety when he scooped up the loose ball and managed to punt it out to the York 32 yard line.
York regained the ball on a fumble recovery by MacGlashing but finally turned it over on downs at the Raider 34 yard line. Fryeburg marched for a final score behind an unlisted "number 55" at QB on a completed pass to Dan Broyer with just two minutes left in the game. Nick Mercurio and Greg Kasbohm combined to stop the conversion and the final score was York 33, Fryeburg 12.
After the game, Small singled out the running of Jimenez.
"Overall, I thought Jon ran the ball very well," he said.
Next on the schedule is a game at Lake Region, this Saturday, Sept.30, at 1:30 p.m.
